Michał Gurgul (born 30 January 2006) is a Polish professional footballer who plays as a defender for Ekstraklasa club Lech Poznań.

Michał Gurgul
Gurgul in 2023 with Lech Poznań
Personal information
Full name Michał Gurgul[1]
Date of birth (2006-01-30) 30 January 2006 (age 18)
Place of birth Poznań, Poland
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
Lech Poznań
Number 15
Youth career
2011–2017 AP Reissa Jarocin
2017–2023 Lech Poznań
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2023– Lech Poznań II 18 (0)
2023– Lech Poznań 30 (1)
International career
2019 Poland U14
2021–2022 Poland U16 7 (0)
2022–2023 Poland U17 13 (0)
2023 Poland U18 5 (0)
2024– Poland U19 5 (0)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Poland
UEFA European Under-17 Championship
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Hungary
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 9 December 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18 October 2024

Club career

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Early career

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At the age of 5, Gurgul joined the Jarocin branch of Akademia Piłkarska Reissa.[2] In 2017, he joined Lech Poznań's youth system.

With Gurgul as a regular in the starting line-up, Lech's U19 team won the 2022–23 Central Junior League title.[3]

Senior level

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Gurgul made his senior debut for Lech Poznań II on 28 February 2023 in a 2–0 league win against Radunia Stężyca.[4] Less than two weeks later, on 12 March 2023, he made his first appearance for the senior team as a substitute in a 1–1 Ekstraklasa draw against Piast Gliwice.[5] Two days later, it was announced he had signed a new three-year deal with the club.[6]

On 30 April 2023, he was named in Lech's starting line-up for a league home game against Górnik Zabrze, which ended in a 0–1 loss.[7]

In September 2023, following international break, he replaced Elias Andersson as the first-choice left-back in the team's line-up and started in every Ekstraklasa game played by Lech that month. On 28 September, Gurgul scored his first professional goal in a 4–1 win against defending champions Raków Częstochowa, levelling the score from close range in the 6th minute.[8]

International career

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Gurgul received his first call-up to the Poland U14s in 2019.[2] At the 2023 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, he appeared in all five games played by the under-17 team as they reached the semi-finals and secured a spot at the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup.[9] He was part of the squad for the tournament played in Indonesia,[10] and appeared in all three games played by the Polish U17s.

He then made his debut for the under-18s as a substitute in a friendly against Croatia on 6 September 2023.[11]

After serving as captain of the Poland under-19s in 2024,[12] on 5 November he received his maiden senior team call-up for the UEFA Nations League matches against Portugal and Scotland later that month,[13] appearing on the bench once against the latter.[14]

Career statistics

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As of match played 6 December 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Polish Cup Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Lech Poznań II 2022–23[15] II liga 7 0 0 0 7 0
2023–24[16] II liga 11 0 0 0 11 0
Total 18 0 0 0 18 0
Lech Poznań 2022–23[15] Ekstraklasa 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
2023–24[16] Ekstraklasa 10 1 0 0 1[a] 0 11 1
2024–25[17] Ekstraklasa 17 0 1 0 18 0
Total 30 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 32 1
Career total 48 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 50 1

References

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  1. ^ "FIFA U-17 World Cup Indonesia 2023™" (PDF). fdp.fifa.org. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Sukcesy wychowanków Akademii – Michał Gurgul". akademiareissa.pl (in Polish). 25 January 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  3. ^ "Lech mistrzem Polski juniorów starszych!" (in Polish). Lech Poznań. 3 June 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  4. ^ "Ważne doświadczenie za Gurgulem i Tomczykiem" (in Polish). Lech Poznań. 28 February 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  5. ^ "Debiut Gurgula w Ekstraklasie" (in Polish). Lech Poznań. 13 March 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  6. ^ "Michał Gurgul na dłużej w Lechu" (in Polish). Lech Poznań. 14 March 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  7. ^ "Gurgul pierwszy raz w wyjściowej jedenastce" (in Polish). Lech Poznań. 1 May 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  8. ^ "Pierwszy gol Gurgula" (in Polish). Lech Poznań. 29 September 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  9. ^ "ME U-17: Polska 3-5 Niemcy". 90minut.pl (in Polish). 30 May 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  10. ^ "U-17: Powołania na Mistrzostwa Świata U-17" (in Polish). Polish Football Association. 25 October 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  11. ^ "U-18: Chorwacja 4-4 Polska". 90minut.pl (in Polish). 7 September 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  12. ^ "Trzech lechitów w seniorskiej reprezentacji Polski" (in Polish). Lech Poznań. 5 November 2024. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  13. ^ Wieczorek, Bartosz (5 November 2024). "Kopalnia talentów Lecha Poznań. Michał Gurgul i Antoni Kozubal oczarowali Michała Probierza [SYLWETKA]". sport.tvp.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  14. ^ "LN: Składy na mecz Polska - Szkocja". 90minut.pl (in Polish). 18 November 2024. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  15. ^ a b "Sezon 2022/23". 90minut. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  16. ^ a b "Sezon 2023/24". 90minut. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  17. ^ "Sezon 2024/25". 90minut. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
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